HomeNew JerseyBergen County
Bergen County, New Jersey: commercial real estate data.
Bergen County, New Jersey had an estimated 978,641 residents on July 1, 2024, up 2.4 percent since the 2020 census base of 955,721, across 233 square miles. County output reached $105.80 bn in 2024, 31,818 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 1,861 7(a) approvals worth $769.0 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Bergen County
How many people live in Bergen County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-2024962,316
- Households355,127
- Average household size2.71
- Median household income$124,884
- Median age42.0
- Median gross rent$1,914 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$623,000
- Home value to household income5.0 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income18.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher53.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree21.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over684,999
- Population under 18201,193
- Share under 1820.9 percent
- Population 65 and over175,043
- Share 65 and over18.2 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 64586,080
- Civilian labor force527,974
- Unemployment rate5.8 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over69.4 percent
- Rank by population among New Jersey counties1st of 21
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included56th of 3,222
Bergen County is the 1st largest of 21 New Jersey counties by population. A median home costs 5.0 times median household income, which is seriously unaffordable by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 20.9 percent against 18.2 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Bergen County
Is Bergen County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 2024978,641
- Census 2020 base population955,721
- Population change since the 2020 census base2.40 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 202412,157
- Births, 20248,993
- Deaths, 20247,027
- Natural change, 20241,966
- Net domestic migration, 2024-2,142
- Net international migration, 202412,297
- Total net migration, 202410,155
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-13,773
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1036th of 3,144
The county has grown 2.40 percent since the 2020 census base. The population grew in 2024 from both sources: births exceeded deaths and more people moved in than left.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Bergen County
Where are people moving to Bergen County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving22,865
- People arriving, from those returns39,439
- Tax returns filed by households leaving25,436
- Net household movement-2,571
- Adjusted gross income arriving$2.95 bn
- Net adjusted gross income movement$-511.8 m
- Average income of an arriving household$129,007
- Average income of a leaving household$136,088
- Largest single originHudson County (3,834 households)
- Largest single destinationPassaic County (2,845 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hudson County | 3,834 | 6,873 | $511.6 m |
| Passaic County | 2,921 | 5,093 | $203.1 m |
| New York County | 1,954 | 3,428 | $424.8 m |
| Queens County | 1,559 | 2,908 | $158.1 m |
| Essex County | 1,245 | 2,062 | $117.4 m |
| Bronx County | 1,173 | 2,212 | $78.0 m |
| Kings County | 932 | 1,680 | $118.5 m |
| Rockland County | 772 | 1,309 | $117.6 m |
Households arriving report $7,081 less average income than households leaving, which drains spending power even where headcount holds up. The largest single source of arrivals is Hudson County, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Bergen County
What is the Bergen County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$105.80 bn
- County GDP, 2023$101.81 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20243.9 percent
- GDP change over five years29.6 percent
- Rank by GDP among the New Jersey areas BEA publishes1st of 21
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes56th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$109,948
Output grew 3.9 percent in the latest year and 29.6 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Bergen County
Employment by industry in Bergen County
- Covered employment, annual average438,240
- Establishments reporting36,016
- Average annual pay$80,639
- Average weekly wage$1,551
- Health care and social assistance, employment83,475
- Health care and social assistance, average annual pay$77,918
- Retail trade, employment47,692
- Retail trade, average annual pay$49,338
- Accommodation and food services, employment34,627
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$32,314
- Wholesale trade, employment32,172
- Wholesale trade, average annual pay$104,236
- Manufacturing, employment29,611
- Professional, scientific and technical services, employment28,731
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 83,475 | 6,760 | $77,918 |
| Retail trade | 47,692 | 3,292 | $49,338 |
| Accommodation and food services | 34,627 | 2,648 | $32,314 |
| Wholesale trade | 32,172 | 2,544 | $104,236 |
| Manufacturing | 29,611 | 1,216 | $91,799 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 28,731 | 4,063 | $125,478 |
| Administrative and support and waste management services | 23,358 | 2,010 | $64,614 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 17,725 | 996 | $59,312 |
Health care and social assistance is the largest private sector at 83,475 jobs, 19.0 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Bergen County
How many businesses are in Bergen County?
- Establishments, all industries31,818
- Employment at those establishments441,870
- Annual payroll$32.81 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents33.1
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against. County Business Patterns counts private establishments with paid employees in March 2023, while the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages above counts every unemployment-insured employer, public ones included, as a 2024 annual average, so the two establishment and employment counts differ.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Bergen County
Building permits in Bergen County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 20243,329
- Declared construction value permitted$604.7 m
- Single family units authorized1,450
- Multifamily units authorized1,879
- Multifamily share of units56.4 percent
- Average declared value per unit$181,639
- Units authorized per 1,000 households9.4
Multifamily is 56.4 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is being built for renters rather than buyers.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Bergen County
SBA loans in Bergen County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded1,861
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$769.0 m
- Average 7(a) approval$413,200
- Median 7(a) approval$150,000
- 10th percentile approval$25,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,060,000
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)14,254
- Jobs per approval7.7
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active129
- Distinct industries receiving approvals345
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer10.2 percent
- Loans on real estate terms189
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter1,610
- Franchise loans161
- Franchise share of approvals8.7 percent
- Leading industry by approval countFull-Service Restaurants (136)
- Most active lenderTD Bank, National Association (442)
- 504 approvals recorded211
- 504 gross approval dollars$229.3 m
- Average 504 approval$1,086,962
- Median 504 approval$827,000
- Distinct CDCs active5
- 504 jobs per approval12.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved11.0
- Most active CDCTrenton Business Assistance Corporation (85)
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$998.3 m
The average approval of $413,200 sits well above the median of $150,000, pulled up by a few larger deals, so the median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here gets. Only 10.2 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Bergen County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Bergen County
Do SBA loans in Bergen County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded311
- Paid in full258
- Charged off53
- Charge-off rate on resolved loans17.0 percent
- Status: Paid in full258
- Status: Exempt from disclosure1,172
- Status: Cancelled275
- Status: Charged off53
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed103
Of the 311 loans that have reached a final outcome, 17.0 percent were charged off. This is computed only over resolved loans, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed and counting it either way would be wrong.
Compare against the national and state SBA charge-off rates, computed the same way over resolved loans only.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Bergen County
SBA lending by place in Bergen County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending79
- Hackensack, approvals133
- Fort Lee, approvals114
- Palisades Park, approvals78
- Paramus, approvals71
- Fair Lawn, approvals54
- Teaneck, approvals53
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Hackensack | 133 | $50,351,300 |
| Fort Lee | 114 | $44,622,300 |
| Palisades Park | 78 | $25,636,800 |
| Paramus | 71 | $31,287,700 |
| Fair Lawn | 54 | $15,900,100 |
| Teaneck | 53 | $22,642,300 |
| Englewood | 52 | $22,118,700 |
| Ramsey | 47 | $21,727,600 |
| 71 other borrower cities | 1,259 | $534,677,500 |
Hackensack accounts for 133 approvals against 114 in Fort Lee. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Bergen County
How large is Bergen County?
- Land area233 sq mi
- Rank by land area among New Jersey counties15th of 21
- Width, east to west19.7 mi
- Height, north to south24 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary7
- Residents per square mile of land4,130
- Establishments per square mile136.56
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Bergen County
Flood risk in Bergen County
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book71
- Of those, participating in the NFIP69
- NFIP participation rate97.2 percent
- Best Community Rating System class in the county A lower CRS class is a larger flood insurance premium discount.Class 6
- Communities carrying a CRS class10
- Radon levels in Bergen County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/LZone 2
The EPA places Bergen County in radon zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L. The zone is a screening prediction for the county and does not substitute for a test at an address. The best Community Rating System class among the county's communities is 6, which carries a flood insurance premium discount for policies written in that community. 97.2 percent of the county's listed communities participate in the National Flood Insurance Program, per Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26.
Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26. US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Traffic counts, zoning and the flood zone at an address are not on this page; they resolve at the address in the platform. How this page was built →
Feasibility studies
When a Bergen County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Bergen County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-2024962,316
- Households355,127
- Average household size2.71
- Median household income$124,884
- Median age42.0
Common questions
Bergen County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Bergen County, New Jersey?
The Census Bureau estimates 978,641 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 962,316, in 355,127 households, ranking 1st of 21 New Jersey counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Bergen County's population growing?
The population has grown 2.40 percent since the 2020 census base of 955,721, to 978,641 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 8,993 births against 7,027 deaths, with net migration of 10,155. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Bergen County?
$124,884. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $623,000, which is 5.0 times income, and median gross rent is $1,914 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Bergen County?
31,818 establishments, employing 441,870 people with an annual payroll of $32.81 bn. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is employment by industry in Bergen County?
Health care and social assistance is the largest private sector at 83,475 jobs, 19.0 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 438,240 jobs at an average annual pay of $80,639, or $1,551 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Bergen County?
1,861 7(a) approvals totaling $769.0 m since FY2020, across 129 lenders, with a median approval of $150,000, plus 211 504 approvals worth $229.3 m since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Bergen County get paid back?
Of the 311 loans that have reached a final outcome, 258 were paid in full and 53 charged off, a charge-off rate of 17.0 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
How many building permits were issued in Bergen County?
3,329 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $604.7 m. Multifamily was 56.4 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Bergen County?
Zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Bergen County come from?
The largest single origin is Hudson County, with 3,834 households. Arriving households report an average income of $129,007 against $136,088 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Bergen County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Bergen County?
No. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame, to be confirmed locally.
Bergen County
Cities and places in Bergen.
62 Census places lie wholly or partly in Bergen County. All 62 carry enough published place level data for a page of their own and are linked.
| Place | Type | Population | SBA 7(a) approvals, projects in this county | Lies in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hackensack | city | 46,057 | 133 | Wholly in this county |
| Fort Lee | borough | 40,067 | 114 | Wholly in this county |
| Fair Lawn | borough | 35,610 | 54 | Wholly in this county |
| Garfield | city | 32,783 | 45 | Wholly in this county |
| Englewood | city | 29,638 | 52 | Wholly in this county |
| Bergenfield | borough | 28,450 | 39 | Wholly in this county |
| Paramus | borough | 26,568 | 71 | Wholly in this county |
| Ridgewood | village | 26,308 | 37 | Wholly in this county |
| Lodi | borough | 26,082 | 42 | Wholly in this county |
| Cliffside Park | borough | 25,781 | 47 | Wholly in this county |
| Elmwood Park | borough | 21,412 | 26 | Wholly in this county |
| Palisades Park | borough | 20,290 | 78 | Wholly in this county |
| Rutherford | borough | 18,894 | 23 | Wholly in this county |
| Dumont | borough | 18,279 | 16 | Wholly in this county |
| New Milford | borough | 16,995 | 14 | Wholly in this county |
| North Arlington | borough | 16,461 | 21 | Wholly in this county |
| Tenafly | borough | 15,319 | 22 | Wholly in this county |
| Fairview | borough | 15,099 | 35 | Wholly in this county |
| Ramsey | borough | 14,805 | 47 | Wholly in this county |
| Edgewater | borough | 14,759 | 32 | Wholly in this county |
| Ridgefield Park | village | 13,235 | 30 | Wholly in this county |
| Oakland | borough | 12,768 | 25 | Wholly in this county |
| Glen Rock | borough | 12,154 | 23 | Wholly in this county |
| Hasbrouck Heights | borough | 12,115 | 18 | Wholly in this county |
| River Edge | borough | 12,091 | 15 | Wholly in this county |
| Wallington | borough | 11,889 | 11 | Wholly in this county |
| Ridgefield | borough | 11,498 | 37 | Wholly in this county |
| Westwood | borough | 11,283 | 30 | Wholly in this county |
| Franklin Lakes | borough | 11,084 | 22 | Wholly in this county |
| Little Ferry | borough | 10,996 | 41 | Wholly in this county |
| East Rutherford | borough | 10,313 | 30 | Wholly in this county |
| Wood-Ridge | borough | 10,218 | 10 | Wholly in this county |
| Waldwick | borough | 10,164 | 13 | Wholly in this county |
| Hillsdale | borough | 10,144 | 8 | Wholly in this county |
| Maywood | borough | 10,093 | 13 | Wholly in this county |
| Park Ridge | borough | 9,406 | 13 | Wholly in this county |
| Bogota | borough | 9,360 | 16 | Wholly in this county |
| Leonia | borough | 9,336 | 13 | Wholly in this county |
| Cresskill | borough | 9,174 | 11 | Wholly in this county |
| Montvale | borough | 8,901 | 24 | Wholly in this county |
| Closter | borough | 8,606 | 23 | Wholly in this county |
| Upper Saddle River | borough | 8,439 | 13 | Wholly in this county |
| Oradell | borough | 8,235 | 10 | Wholly in this county |
| Emerson | borough | 7,305 | 7 | Wholly in this county |
| Midland Park | borough | 7,019 | 20 | Wholly in this county |
| Allendale | borough | 6,865 | 12 | Wholly in this county |
| Carlstadt | borough | 6,378 | 34 | Wholly in this county |
| Woodcliff Lake | borough | 6,152 | 11 | Wholly in this county |
| Old Tappan | borough | 6,008 | 13 | Wholly in this county |
| Norwood | borough | 5,724 | 9 | Wholly in this county |
| Englewood Cliffs | borough | 5,362 | 21 | Wholly in this county |
| Harrington Park | borough | 4,954 | 4 | Wholly in this county |
| Demarest | borough | 4,911 | 6 | Wholly in this county |
| Northvale | borough | 4,829 | 22 | Wholly in this county |
| Ho-Ho-Kus | borough | 4,270 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
| Saddle River | borough | 3,389 | 5 | Wholly in this county |
| Haworth | borough | 3,363 | 3 | Wholly in this county |
| Moonachie | borough | 3,126 | 21 | Wholly in this county |
| Ramapo College of New Jersey | CDP | 2,018 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Alpine | borough | 1,588 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Rockleigh | borough | 459 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Teterboro | borough | 136 | 5 | Wholly in this county |
A further 268 of the county's 1,861 SBA 7(a) approvals are to borrowers in cities that match no Census place in Bergen County, the largest being Teaneck (53), Lyndhurst (45), Mahwah (42). Those are postal cities, unincorporated areas and cities outside the county, so no place row claims them; they are counted in the county total above.